


Grief

by Latenightsgunfights



Category: Saints Row
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Light Angst, Violent Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:08:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29261751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Latenightsgunfights/pseuds/Latenightsgunfights
Summary: Losing Johnny Gat hit Shaundi hard.Viola joins the Saints with grief of her own.[Repost since I accidentally deleted this one while trying to delete another in the series]
Relationships: Viola DeWynter & Shaundi (Saints Row)
Kudos: 1





	Grief

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by @Bishaundi on tumblr, written with permission

The boss had patted _that bitch_ on the shoulder. 

_Patted her._

Shaundi found her eye twitching uncontrollably. 

Maybe this was what Pierce had felt like, then, when the Boss had bypassed his rational thought and chose violence instead. Aisha's sliced up body and Carlos tarmac torn skin still _too_ fresh in her mind. In all of their minds. Shaundi guessed Johnny felt the same pent up irritation she did now. 

_Johnny._

_Fuck,_ the incident seemed like so long ago now. Shaundi still half expected him to swagger up the elevator, waltzing into the penthouse like he owned the place, squeezing her shoulder and winking something _awfully_ suggestive and fun. 

_But_ _no_ , her brain helpfully reminded her, _Johnny's gone, Johnny's dead, and she worked for the ass that killed him._

____

Viola's back was turned, looking out of the penthouse window into the bustling city below. Her hair was slicked back into a sleek ponytail, gathered at her crown, and Shaundi imagined it a red ringed bullseye as she aimed her pistol at the other woman's head. Viola hadn't noticed her yet. 

Shaundi wondered how mad the Boss would be if she pulled the trigger, if she left her _pretty_ _fucking face_ bleeding out on the motor way. Red Asphalt. 

Viola turned then, eyeing Shaundi with concealed surprise, and the Saint shoved the pistol behind her back before their eyes met. 

"Do you need something, Shaundi?" Viola's voice was ever composed, ever serious, a thin eyebrow raising in question. It grated on Shaundis nerves. 

"Don't fucking talk to me."

___

"I like your hair."

"Excuse me?" 

"Your hair looks so _shiny_ , Viola. Can you show me how you do that? "

"Sure, I guess."

Kinzie _giggled,_ mumbling something about sisters and walking over to the adjoined kitchen, pouring herself a coffee while the rest of the Saints lounged in the living room. 

It puzzled Shaundi, how even someone as smart as Kinzie had fallen for it. How even _she_ didn't realise that Viola being here was a treachery waiting to happen. 

The DeWynter sister was sitting across from her, back straight against the cream couch and legs crossed, black heel dangling slightly from the elevated foot as she nodded along to something Pierce was saying. 

The Boss interrupted, momentarily, nudging Viola on the shoulder from their place next to her. 

"Hey, forgot to mention, thanks for helping me out earlier. You got a good shot."

_They killed Johnny._

"Thanks, Boss."

_Johnny called them that too. Used that exact tone._

"Yeah, I'm glad you're on our side." Viola smirked and nodded, and the anger that rose up inside Shaundis chest in that moment was so violent, so deadly and grief filled, like a bullet to the ribcage.

And, then, Shaundi saw Johnny's face flash in front of her eyes, all slashed up bloody before morphing into the shade of Phillipes scarf. _Not today._

"You don't fucking belong here."

Viola met her with that raised eyebrow again, regarding her like she was a caged animal but also with an air of respect. "Why is that, Shaundi?" She was so calm and level headed, as if she'd heard it all before. 

Shaundi hesitated, almost as if she didn't. know how to explain. How could she word the agony she felt the day Johnny died? But the Saint in her came through strong before anything else could cloud her thoughts; Shaundi casually removed her hoops from her ears as she contemplated her words. 

"He's dead." That was it, wasn't it. Shaundi looked into Viola's eyes with this sick sort of grimace, spitting the very words in her face, "Johnny's _dead_ and you're _here."_

"People _change,_ Shaundi."

"No they fucking don't, you bitch!" 

Shaundi got up so hard and fast that her chair flipped behind her, Viola matching her movements. Shaundi snarled, practically feeling her old self shine through like a nickel on the pavement. "What happened to us? Johnny's body is God knows where and we're _sitting_ here with the very person that killed him."

Piece tried to step in, "listen ladies-" 

"I didn't kill him." Her tone was devoid of sarcasm. Shaundi laughed. 

"Stop acting like you're innocent because you didn't pull the trigger."

"People _change."_

"Stop fucking saying that!" Shaundi's gun was up and out, aimed between the other woman's eyes. A prolonged silence. 

Viola was still, no retaliation, no movement, no _breathing,_ not even regarding the gun with her eyes. Instead she looked passed the barrel, into Shaundis eyes, ever composed. 

The gun hit the ground but no one flinched. 

Shaundi slumped, a puppet with cut strings, as if everything that had happened was just hitting her for the first time. The tears were slow at first, like blood dripping slowly before the wound opens further. 

Viola reached forward, expression still, no pity just respect and understanding. Thin fingers slipped behind Shaundi's head, pushing it gently onto her shoulder, adjusting to the shock of her own actions before wrapping her other arm around the Saints waist. Shaundi returned it as the tears _gushed_ all painful and untreated; overlooked until the power of _everything_ was too much to bear. 

The hug was long, tight, fierce but Viola didn't let go. Because she saw the pain in Shaundi's face, the temor in her grip when Johnny's name was mentioned. Because loss was awful and in a world like _theirs_ and a life _hers_ you picked your friends too wisely and strategically to just _let it go._

Viola hugged Shaundi because she understood. 

  
  



End file.
